Vacuum cleaner



July 13, 1954 R. c. LAMPE 2,683,501

VACUUM CLEANER Original Filed Jan. 25, 1950 9 Sheets$heet 1 INVENTOR Robert C. La rape Amromz P:

R. C. LAMPE VACUUM CLEANER July 13, 1954 Original Filed Jan. 25; 1950 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Robert Cilamzbe ha; ATTORNEY.

July 13, 1954 Original Filed Jan. 25, 1950 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Robert Clam/2e 4 ATTORNEY July 13, 195.4 R. c. LAMPE 2,683,501

VACUUM CLEANER Original Filed Jan. 25, 1950 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 O INVENTOR Robert 6. La mp9 AQA m TOPXE).

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' VACUUM CLEANER Original Filed Jan. 25, 1950 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 "117\\\ 21 $83 as 14 I INVENTOR Robert Cilampe A4; ATTORNEY.

y 1954 R. c. LAMPE 2,683,501

VACUUM CLEANER Original Filed Jan. 25, 1950 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR Robert CLam be AL ATTORNEY.

July 13, 1954 R. c. LAMPE 2,683,501

VACUUM CLEANER Original Filed Jan. 25, 1950 9 Sheets$heet 7 aza INVENTOR Robert (.LamPe A4; ATYURNEY.

R. C. LAMPE VACUUM CLEANER July 13, 1954 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Original Filed Jan. 25, 1950 INVENTOR Robert 6'. Lampe K ATTORNEY.

R. C. LAMPE VACUUM CLEANER July 13, 1954 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Original Filed Jan. 25, 1950 INVENTOR Robert C LamPe Patented July 13, 1954 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANER Robert 0. Lampe, Stamford, Conn., assignor to Electrolux Corporation, Old Greenwich, Conn., a corporation of Delaware 6 Claims.

This application is a division of copending application Serial No. 140,394 filed January 25, 1950 jointly by Gustaf Einar Lofgren, John T. Ferraris and myself, now Patent No. 2,641,330 issued June 9, 1953, and relates back thereto for all common subject matter.

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners of the enclosed bag type and more particularly to such vacuum cleaners provided with means for automatically ejecting the dust bag.

A preferred form of such vacuum cleaner includes a closure member which is pivotally connected to the front of the cleaner housing and may be pivoted to a closed position for retaining the dust bag within the housing, and to an open position below and ahead of the dust bag opening. Means are included for moving the dust bag out of the casing upon the opening of the closure member and it is desirable that the thus ejected bag will clear the closure and be deposited on the floor.

In accordance with the present invention I provide structure which will assure that the bag, and particularly the forward end thereof, will not catch on the opened cover and be stopped thereby, but will continue to travel over the cover and onto the floor.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application and of which;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the cleaner and hose showing the cover open, the ejector plate forward and the dust-filled bag in ejected position just prior to its coming to rest on the floor;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 5;

Figure 4 is a partial horizontal sectional view similar to Figure 3, but showing the cover opened and the scissors ejector mechanism fully distended;

Figure 5 is a front plan view of the vacuum cleaner;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5 showing the parallel linkage of the hose coupling assembly to the cover;

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1'! of Fig. 5, showing the manually operable button for releasing the front cover;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5 showing the manually operable All switch actuating button for energizing and deenergizing the motor fan unit;

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 5 showing the linkage control for automatically releasing the dust bag ejector device;

Figure 10 is a wiring diagram including some of the pneumatic controls; and

Figure 11 is an exploded perspective view with portions cut away in section showing the electro-pneumatic control unit and details of its internal construction.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, vacuum cleaner housing It is a hollow casing having a handle II. It is appropriately supported on a pair of runners 12. The suction 0r inlet portion of the casing I0 is provided with an air inlet nozzle and wand (not shown) together with a suitable flexible hose I3, Fig. 1 and connecting coupling Ma fitted into a movable hose coupling assembly [5 mounted on cover IS. A cover 16 is pivotally connected at I! to a pair of spaced hinge members Ha extending forwardly from a front body ring 20 and biased to open position by spring l8, effects with casing l 0 an air tight seal formed by rubber sealing ring member l9, cardboard disc 3| of dust bag 30 and sealing ring 22 positioned in the bag insertion opening of front body ring 20, Fig. 3. Tubular member 2! of the hose coupling assembly I5 extends through the opening 32 cut in cardboard disc 3| well into the dust collecting receptacle 30, and is sealed against disc 3| by rubber sealing ring I9. Switch button 16a on cover l5 provides the on-and-ofl manual control for the cleaner unit.

Extending outwardly in a substantially horizontal direction from body ring 20 at the bottom of the aforesaid bag insertion opening is a supporting member or platform 28. As is shown particularly in Fig. 9, cover 16 is formed with a hollow space between the hinge member Ha into which space platform 28 extends when the cover is in closed position.

A perforated sleeve 23 is affixed at one end to front body ring 20 and is adapted for supporting dust bag 30 (of disposable paper or cloth construction). This entire unit (sleeve 23, body ring 30, etc.) is slidably fitted within the open end of cleaner housing I 0 and is affixed thereto by retaining screws 24, Figs. 1, 2, and 6. In the embodiment shown, sleeve 23, reinforced by lateral stiffening plates 25 and base rods 26, is substantially rectangular in cross-section and is thus adapted to take a bag of substantially simi- 3 lar but slightly smaller cross-section, Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Dust bag 30, Fig. 1, comprises a dust receptacle of paper or similarly air-pervious, dust-impervious, material 33 affixed at its mouth, as by gluing, to the rear surface of a hard paper or cardboard disc 3|, the latter being clamped between rubber sealing ring IQ of hose coupling assembly I5 and the open end of front body ring 2b with the aid of sealing ring 22. Cardboard disc 3! has a central opening 32 through which tubular member 2| is inserted in order to introduce the air and entrained dust directly into the interior of dust bag 30.

The entire inner surface of perforated sleeve member or dust bag receiving compartment 23 is provided with apertures 21, Figs. 2 and 4, in order to permit suction air current to pass freely therethrough and into chamber 40, the air also passing to compartment 50 containing the ejector scissors 53 and its associated expulsion spring assembly 5I. Thereafter the suction air current passes through motor fan compartment I which contains mounted therein fan II and motor I2. The fan is provided with an air inlet I3 through which the air passes to the housing of motor 12 and out through louver openings '14.

The scissors ejector mechanism SI, 53, Figs. 2, 3 and 4, for operating the ba ejector plate 52 is in the form of a collapsible spring loaded lazy tongs 53 which can be collapsed into fully flexed (loaded) condition, Fig. 3, by pushing back ejector plate 52 hingedly attached by pins to the front pair of scissors blades 53a. Mutually intermeshing gear teeth 54 cut in coacting portions of the front pair of scissors blades keep plate 52 oriented correctly throughout the extent of its travel. U-shaped frame member 55' affixed to the rear end of perforated sleeve 23 supports the ends of the rear pair of scissors blades 530 by holding the latter between a pair of sleeves 55, all being bearinged on pin 51. The scissors mechanism is biased to fully distended position by loading springs 58 mounted over each sleeve 55.

The scissors ejector mechanism BI, 53, is held in spring loaded position by a depending lug GI', Fig. 2; which is integral with plate 52 and engages, sequentially, front latch 62 and rear latch 63 when plate 52 is pushed to its most rearwardly or spring loaded position, Fig. 3. Front latch 52' together with sleeve es and lever 66, Fig. 9, forms a bell crank biased to latching position by spring 68 while rear latch 53 together with pin 65 and bell crank 67, Fig. 9, forms another composite bell crank biased to latching position by spring 69.

The above latches for restraining the ejector mechanism are operated through appropriate linkages. Thus rear latch 63 is moved to releasing position by automatic triggerin initiated by pneumatically actuated means (described below) and transmitted through link 8 i and a bell crank formed of lever arm 83, pin 85 and lever arm 8'1, Fig. 9, while lever arm 8? is actuated in turn by bell crank 89, Figs. 2, 6 and 9, fulcrumed at 9! and linked directly to the pneumatically operated triggering device 250.

Front latch 52 is moved to releasing position by the final opening stages of the released front cover I through link 82, and a bell crank form of lever arm 84, pin 86, and lever arm 88', while the latter is actuated by slide or draw bar 92 which is pulled outwardly by a cam 94 on the psarallel linkage I 55 of the hose coupling assembly With this particular latching device for restraining the scissors ejector mechanism 5I, plate 52 is held in loaded position until cover I6 is practically fully opened. Cover I6 is normally held closed by latch I50, Figs. 1 and '7 fulcrumed at IIlI and biased to retain cover I6 in closed position by tension spring I02.

Vlhen the cover is opened and the bag ejected, it is desirable that the latter should travel over the cover, as is shown in Fig. l. Inasmuch as the lowest part of the bag is the lower edge of disc 3|, while the highest part of the cover, when the latter is in open position, is the top of hose connector or coupling I5, it is necessary that the trajectory of the bagbe such that the lower edge of the disc will clear the near upper edge of the hose connector, as otherwise the disc would strike the hose connector or the gasket i9 carried thereby and arrest the motion of the front end of the bag while the rear end still would continue to be moved forwardly by the ejector plate 52. This would result in crumpling of the bag and possibly in rupturing thereof. Whether or not the bag properly clears the cover depends on the horizontal and vertical distances between the opening in the body ring 20 and the upper near edge of the hose connector [5 and upon the velocity at which the bag is ejected. The above mentioned horizontal distance must be such that, when the cover is closed, the hose connector will be centered vertically with respect to the opening in the body ring, while the above mentioned vertical' distance is limited by the minimum vertical dimension possible for the hose connector while still havin it large enough to receive the coupling Ma of the hose. Experience has proved that with these distances at their most favorable possible values, the velocity which it would be necessary to impart to the bag in order to cause it to clear the hose connector, would require that the ejector spring 58 be considerably stronger than otherwise would be necessary, thus requiring the operator to exert more force when reloading the ejector.

In order to reduce the required ejection velocity, and hence the strength of the spring 58, I provide the platform 28 extending outwardly from the body rin 20 at the bottom of the bag insertion opening. During the initial portion of the ejection movement of the bag, the latter is supported by this platform and consequently does not start to fall under the force of gravity until it has passed beyond the front end of the platform. The result is that the trajectory of the bag, and particularly of the front end' thereof, is

such that the lower edge of disc 3I clears the near upper edge of hose connector I 5, and hence there is no interference with the forward motion of the bag. If, thereafter, the bottom side of the bag portion strikes the top surface of the hose connector, the bag will continue to slide thereover and will come to rest in the desired position on the fioor.

The cover may be opened for inspection of the bag and its contents, however, without necessarily ejecting the dust bag, by pressin release button b on cover It downwards and (Fig. '7) causing plunger I05 held through elongated slot H35 by retaining screw Ill! and biased upwards by spring I08 to contact latch I00. Pressing button iEb forces plunger I 55 downwards against latch I09 thus releasing cover I5. Then, even with front latch 62 released by the openin of cover I6 to its full extent, rear latch 63'restrains scissors ejector 53 from discharging the dust bag.

Latch 63 thus serves as an auxiliary safety latch preventing the dust bag in either full or empty condition from being ejected upon manually opening cover 16. On the other hand, with cover I 6 closed, latch '52 similarly serves as an auxiliary safety latch preventing the compression and jamming of bag 30 within sleeve member 23 even though latch 53 may have been released by the triggering action of pneumatically operated device 250.

It is to be noted that pneumatically operated device 250 in addition to triggering rear ejector latch 63 also releases cover restraining latch Hill by actuating lever [31, Figs. 7, 9, 10, fulcrumed at I32.

The parallel linkage of the hose coupling assembly I 5 to the cover It is most clearly shown in Fig. 6, where bell crank H5 iulcrumed at H6 to front ring 23 and at H! to hose coupling assembly I5 forms one Lnk of the complete parallel linkage while cover it, (itself) fulc-rumed at I! to front ring 20 and at I Hi to hose coupling assembly l5, forms the other link.

Button [But on cover operates the switch button H Fig. 8, of a conventional on-and-off toggle type snap switch am through plunger Ill slidably held in a groove H2 by retaining screw H3 and biased upwards by spring H4. Plunger HI actuates bell crank I ful-crumed at 12! through one arm thereof, the other 122 of which operates switch button H0. However, although button [611 may be used to start and stop the motor fan unit while the cover 16 is closed, the opening of cover [6 causes a lug 55 of parallel linkage H5 to release one leg of a U-shaped switch rocker arm 95, Figs. 8, 9 and 10, fulcrumed at 91 and biased for clockwise rotation b spring 38. Thus when the cover is opened the other leg of switch arm 96 actuates pin 99 of the on-and-off switch 350 to its off position, thereby stopping the motor fan unit and otherwise deenergizing the entire cleaner unit.

The electrical and pneumatic control units are closely and operatively interrelated. The pneumatic system includes a pressure differential measuring control device 200, Fig. 11, comprising an upper casing 2M and a lower casing 202 separated by a diaphragm 2B3 pneumatically sealed therebetween. The space in the upper casing above diaphragm 233 is connected by communicating conduit 2H1, Figs. 2 and 11 to opening 2|5, Fig. 3, on the dirty or dust collecting side of the dust bag. The space in the lower casing below diaphragm 203 is connected by communicating conduit 223, T-shaped coupling 22! and common conduit 2:25 to opening 230, Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 9, on the clean side of the dust bag. The remaining connection from T-shaped coupling 22! communicates by means of conduit 23! with one side of valve 243 comprising valve stem 24! and valve face 242 biased to closed position by spring 2 33. When valve 2&9 is open it communicates high suction to the interior of pneumatically operating triggering device 253, comprising a lower casing 25! pneumatically sealed by diaphragm 252 biased to distended or upward position by spring 253 and capable of actuating tripping mechanism through link member 254.

The electrical system for energizing the motor fan unit and the electrical controls are clearly shown in diagrammatic form in Fig. 1D. Vacuum cleaner electrical cord G conveys current from the house lines at 110 volts to terminal strips 33! located within the cleaner housing and from which one line 332 goes to motor 12, while the other line goes to motor 12 through a circuit including line 305, on-and-ofi switch 3 I 0, line 3| l and line 3 l3. The circuit for energizing the electrical controls comprises line 320, electromagnet 325, line 325, pneumatically operated switch 321 of pressure differential pneumatic control unit 283, and line 328 to the house circuit through the cleaner cord 300. The switch 321 of pressure diiferential pneumatic control unit 200 comprises a biasing spring 330, Fig. 11, which serves as a conducting element and for maintaining switch 321 normally open, together with contacts 33l and 332.

In detail and particularly with respect to the operation of the pneumatic and electrical controls, and referring especially to Figs. 10 and 11 where details of structure are clearly illustrated, the force exerted on the pressure differential diaphragm 203 progressively increases with continued dust collection, until it attains sufiicient value to actuate switching means 321 and complete a circuit by closing contacts 331 and 332 in pressure diiferential control unit 20!) Figs. 2, 10. 11 and thereby energize electromagnet 325. The armature 350 of energized electromagnet 325 fulcrumed at 35! and biased by spring 352 to hold valve 243 more securely closed, then moves downwardly and opens valve 240 allowing high suction to be communicated to and operate diaphragm 2-52 which in turn through a series of linkages 254, 255, bell crank 89, etc, releases rear latch 53, Figs. 2, 4, 6 and 9, holding ejection plate 52. Also by actuating lever I 3|, Figs. 9 and 10, diaphragm 252 by way of linkage 254 trips cover releasing latch I90, Figs. 2, 7 and 9, which latch holds cover [5 closed against spring tension. The release of cover [6 first breaks a circuit at the contact points of switch 310 through release of rocker arm 95 which is biased by spring 38 to throw switch 3 It to off position, Figs. 6, 8, thereby deenergizing the motor fan unit. Thereafter the front cover continues to open and after opening substantially mechanical trigger mechanism comprising cam 94 of parallel linkage H5 trips draw bar 92 releasing front latch 62 and hence the bag ejector mechanism 5| through a previously traced series of linkages, allowing the bag ejector plate 52, Figs. 2, 4 to push the bag forward and throw the bag and its contained dirt out of the cleaner casing.

The ejector plate 52 moves forward and outward when released until stops 50, Fig. 4, abut in the forepart of the scissors mechanism 53. The momentum of the moving dust-filled bag causes it to continue onward in its own trajectory out of the cleaner casing after which it comes to rest on the floor.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the various structural features illustrated and described but that the same may be variously otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing defining a dust container compartment formed with an opening, means for supporting said housing on a horizontal surface with said opening disposed in a substantially vertical plane and with the bottom of the opening spaced above said surface, a dust container receivable in said compartment, a closure member for said opening, means for pivotally connecting said closure member to said housing for pivotal movement of said member to an open position outwardly from and below said opening, means for imparting movement to said container to eject the latter from said compartment through said opening when said member is in open position, and supporting means extending outwardly from said housing at the bottom of said opening for supporting said container during the initial portion of its ejection movement to enable it to travel over said member in open position.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing defining a dust container compartment formed with an opening, means for supporting said housing on a horizontal surface with said opening disposed in a substantially vertical plane and with the bottom of the opening spaced above said surface, an elongated dust container receivable in said compartment in a substantially horizontal position, a closure member for said opening, means for pivotally connecting said closure member to said housing for pivotal movement of said member to an open position outwardly from and below said opening, means for applying force to the inner end of said container to eject the latter from said compartment through said opening when said member is in open position, and a platform extending outwardly from said housing at the bottom of said opening for supporting said container during the initial portion of its ejection movement to enable it to travel over said member in open position.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing defining a dust container compartment formed with an opening, means for supporting said housing on a horizontal surface with said opening disposed in a substantially vertical plane and with the bottom of the opening spaced above said surface, a dust container receivable in said compartment, a closure member for said opening, means for pivotally connecting said closure member to said housing below said opening for pivotal movement of said member to an open position outwardly from and below said opening, means for imparting movement to said container to eject the latter from said compartment through said opening when said member is in open position, and a platform extending outwardly from said housing at I the bottom of said opening for supporting said container during the initial portion of its ejection movement to enable it to travel over said member in open position, said member being formed with a hollow portion into which said platform is received when the member is in closed position.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing defining a dust container compartment formed with an opening, means for supporting said housing on a horizontal surface with said opening disposed in a substantially vertical plane and with the bottom of the opening spaced above said surface, a dust container receivable in said compartment, a closure member for said opening, said closure member including structure pivotally connected to said housing below said opening and a hose connector pivotally mounted on said structure, said closure member being pivotal to an open position outwardly from and below said opening and in which said hose connector extends above said structure, means for imparting movement to said container to eject the latter from said compartment through said opening when said member is in open position, and supporting means extendoutwardly from said housing at the bottom of said opening for supporting said container during the initial portion of its ejection movement to enable the forward end of the container to clear the near upper edge of said hose connector.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing defining a dust container compartment formed with an opening, means for supporting said housing on a horizontal surface with said opening disposed in a substantially vertical plane and with the bottom of the opening spaced above said surface, a dust container including a relatively stiff end disc seatable in said opening and a bag secured to said disc and receivable in said compartment, a closure member for retaining said disc in said opening, said closure member including structure pivotally connected to said housing below said opening and a hose connector pivotally mounted on said structure, said closure member being pivotal to an open position outwardly from and below said opening and in which said hose connector extends above said structure, means for imparting movement to said container to eject the latter through said opening when said member is in open position, and a platform extending outwardly from said housing at the bottom of said opening for supporting said container during the initial portion of its ejection movement to cause the lower edge of said disc to clear the near upper edge of said hose connector.

6. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing defining a dust container compartment formed with an opening, means for supporting said housing on a horizontal surface with said opening disposed in a substantially vertical plane and with the bottom of the opening spaced above said surface, a dust container receivable in said compartment, a closure member for said opening, a pair of spaced hinges for connecting said closure member to said housing below said opening for pivotal movement of said member to an open position outwardly from and below said opening, said closure member having a hollow space between said hinges, means for imparting movement to said container to eject the latter from said compartment through said opening when said member is in open position, and a platform having a width less than the distance between said hinges and extending outwardly from said housing at the bottom of said opening for supporting said container during the initial portion of its ejection movement to enable it to travel over said member in open position, said platform extending into the hollow space in said closure member when the latter is in closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

